Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that serves as a model for the human disease multiple sclerosis. We evaluated rolipram, a type IV phosphodiesterase inhibitor, for its efficacy in preventing EAE in the common marmoset Callithrix jacchus. In a blinded experimental design, clinical signs of EAE developed within 17 days of immuniz...

In order to characterize the cellular composition of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a healthy state and in the setting of chronic pleocytosis associated with HIV-1 (HIV) infection, multi-parameter flow cytometry was used to identify and quantitate cellular phenotypes in CSF derived from HIV-uninfected healthy controls and HIV-infected subjects across a spectrum of disease and treatment. CD4+ T ce...

Listeria monocytogenes is a small, aerobic or facultative anaerobic, non-sporulating gram positive bacillus that can be isolated from soil, vegetation or animal reservoirs. There are six species of Listeria, and only L. monocytogenes is pathogenic for humans. Human disease occurs mainly in immunocompromised people, neonates and in pregnancy, while the cases in immunocompetent people are rare. C...

Mast cells reside on and near the cerebral vasculature, the predominant site of pneumococcal entry into the central nervous system (CNS). Although mast cells have been reported to be crucial in protecting from systemic bacterial infections, their role in bacterial infections of the CNS remained elusive. Here, we assessed the role of mast cells in pneumococcal infection in vitro and in vivo. In ...

BACKGROUND Infants with fever and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis are routinely admitted to the hospital for parenteral antibiotic therapy for potential bacterial meningitis pending results of CSF culture. Published estimates suggest that 90% of all episodes of meningitis are caused by enterovirus. Enteroviral polymerase chain reaction (ePCR) has a sensitivity of 92% to 100% and a specifi...

Serum and ventricular fluid pharmacokinetic data for amikacin were evaluated prospectively in 10 hydrocephalic children with suspected ventriculitis. After the fourth or fifth intravenous 7.5-mg/kg dose of amikacin given every 8 h, mean peak serum levels were 24.3 +/- 3.2 microgram/ml (achieved at 0.5 h) with a calculated half-life of 2.2 +/- 1.1 h. Mean peak ventricular fluid levels in five pa...

INTRODUCTION Neurotoxoplasmosis (NT) sometimes manifests unusual characteristics. METHODS We analyzed 85 patients with NT and AIDS according to clinical, cerebrospinal fluid, cranial magnetic resonance, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) characteristics. RESULTS In 8.5%, focal neurological deficits were absent and 16.4% had single cerebral lesions. Increased sensitivity of PCR for Toxoplas...

Viral aseptic meningitis syndrome is an acute meningeal inflammation with symptoms, such as fever and pleocytosis of the cerebrospinal fluid, and enteroviruses are the main causative agents of this disease [1]. Enteroviral meningitis is commonly considered as a subclinical disease, but its clinical characteristics and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings are similar to those of bacterial or herpe...